Mile 937.5 LBD — 2nd Kentucky Loess Bluff
Columbus-Belmont State Park sits on top of the next spectacular display of loess geology at the 2nd Kentucky Loess Bluff. This bluff and the nearby town of Columbus was once called “Iron Bank” for the striking red coloring staining the cliffs. Paddlers can make landing at bluff base and secure their vessel (or pull it out of the water) for exploration. Be wary of falling rock and collapsing bluffs, especially after precipitation.
The area where Columbus-Belmont State Park is today was once a fort for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. The area was strategically located on a large bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. Standing on the bluff, one can look up the Mississippi River for oncoming Union forces for miles. And considering how slow movement was along the river, it would be easy for the Confederate forces to fire upon the Union armies. Confederate General Leonidas Polk created the fort on the bluff around September 3, 1861. Officially the name was Fort DeRussey, but Polk referred to the site as the “Gibraltar of the West”. It was one of the most strategically significant sites in this part of the country due to its ability to control traffic on the Mississippi River. The fort would also help protect important cities down river such as Memphis and Vicksburg, Miss. It also was the northern terminus of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, which was an important supply line for the Confederacy.
Chain Across the Mississippi?
One of General Polk’s unique ideas was to stretch a one-mile iron chain across the Mississippi River to keep Union forces from heading downstream. Today it would seem like a logistical nightmare to pull off, but considering this was 150 years ago makes the feat all the more impressive. Polk had hoped the chain would stop the Union boats long enough for the Confederates to bombard them with cannons. The chain was suspended in the river on a pontoon bridge, made up of several flat-bottomed boats. By removing certain boats, the chain was raised or lowered. However, the system was flawed and soon the chain broke. At one point, too many boats were removed and weight of the chain plus the current of the river was too much for it to handle. The chain had an anchor on one end that weighed anywhere from two to six tons. The chain’s links were 11 inches long and weighed just over 20 pounds each. When the chain was exposed during a landslide in December 1925, officials dug around the chain until the anchor was revealed. It had been buried in 11 feet of earth with its 9 foot flukes fixed vertically to 12-foot oak logs. It had been there for 64 years. The chain was preserved by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1934 by building a stone monument to hold the chain. This is now on display in the park. (from Columbus, Kentucky website)